About the Global Action Atlas

Introduction

The Global Action Atlas spotlights hundreds of local, cause-related projects around the world to a large audience of concerned citizens, giving individuals opportunities to take action by donating, volunteering, advocating, and sharing information. The Atlas enhances and extends the mission of the National Geographic Society --to inspire people to care about the planet-- by turning inspiration into action.

Our Mission

Thursday, March 11, 2010

It is estimated that almost half of all people in the developing world (2.5 billion people) do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Poor water, sanitation and hygiene services have disastrous social consequences with a total of 2.4 million people dying every year of diarrhoea and other water borne-diseases. Unhealthy living conditions tend to exacerbate poverty levels as poor households loose on average 3 hours per day searching for clean water and a safe place to relieve themselves, thus missing out on work or school.more....time for action!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

ReliefWeb is the worldâs leading on-line gateway to information (documents and maps) on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of "forgotten emergencies" at the same time.

ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Recognizing how critical the availability of reliable and timely information in time of humanitarian emergencies is, the UN General Assembly endorsed the creation of ReliefWeb and encouraged humanitarian information exchange through ReliefWeb by all governments, relief agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Resolution 51/194 on 10 February 1997. The General Assembly reiterated the importance of information sharing in emergencies and of taking advantage of OCHA's emergency information services such as ReliefWeb in Resolution 57/153 on 3 March 2003.

ReliefWeb has seen steady growth in usage. In 2002, ReliefWeb received 1.5 million hits per week, and in 2004, the site received approximately 1 million hits a day. Shortly after the South Asia Tsunami disaster of December 2004, it received 3 million hits a day on average.

ReliefWeb maintains three offices in three different time zones (New York, Geneva, and Kobe) to update the web site around the clock. The total budget for the project is USD 2 million (2005), the bulk of which is supported by voluntary contributions by donors.

In recognition of its successful virtual teamwork among three offices, ReliefWeb received two UN21 awards in March 2004 in the areas of "knowledge management" and "improvements to the working environment."

>>For information about OCHA, see OCHA on-line >>To contact ReliefWeb, see Contact Us >>For more donor information, see Donor Support

What We Do

ReliefWeb disseminates timely, reliable and relevant humanitarian information by updating its web site around the clock. In addition, ReliefWeb reaches over 70,000 subscribers through its e-mail subscription services, allowing those who have low bandwidth Internet connections to receive information reliably.

ReliefWeb posts some 150 maps and documents daily from over 2,000 source from the UN system, governments, NGOs, academia and the media. Map Centre also creates original ReliefWeb maps.

All documents posted on the site are classified and archived in the ReliefWeb document database, allowing advanced searching of documents from past emergency responses. The database contains nearly 300,000 maps and documents dating back to 1981.

In addition to Map Centre and emergency updates by latest or by country, region, and emergency, ReliefWeb offers various resource sections specifically targeted to relief professionals:

- Appeals and Funding - Funding appeals for complex emergencies and natural disasters and financial tracking of responses to funding requirements- Policies and Issues - On-line library of reference materials covering humanitarian policies and issues of global nature- Professional Resources - Information of practical use for relief professionals, including a sectoral or thematic listing of "communities of practice," listings of job opportunities and training opportunities, and an information providers' directory.

The site also offers a "web feed" service to deliver customized content to partners' web sites. The service allows users to further utilize the ReliefWeb's content, thereby avoiding duplication of efforts.

>>For subscription services, see ReliefWeb via Email>>For the use of third party content, see Terms of Service [under development]>>For submitting documents, maps, vacancies, etc., see Contact Us>>For complete overview of the site, see Site Map>>For additional information, see Help>>Download new ReliefWeb brochure (pdf): Part 1 (front page), Part 2 (back page)

For internship opportunities with ReliefWeb New York Office, please click here

"Aug. 21, 2009 -- Researchers in England may have found a new way to treat colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases."

"Those scientists took a bacterium called Bacteroides ovatus, which people naturally have in their gut, and genetically altered it to secrete a protein called KGF-2 when exposed to a sugar called xylan."

"The point is to bump up the presence of KGF-2, which is a human growth factor that could help heal damage done by inflammatory bowel diseases."

"Why not just give human growth factors directly? Because "they are unstable when administered orally and systemic administration requires high doses, increasing the risk of unwanted side effects," the researchers write in the online edition of the journal Gut." Shared via AddThis

Microfinance Focus, Aug. 22, 2009: There have been startling losses in microfinance institutions that have wandered too far from their original microfinance mission due to fierce competition or of profit-minded management, writes David MacDougall, Director of Risk Management at Swiss microfinance fund manager BlueOrchard.

Servicing traditional microfinance clients is expensive because loan sizes are small and the number of people required to service clients. But it was caried out with a goal and motivation. When competition deters the MFI from charging higher interest rates and absorb losses more frequently, it leads to higher loses, explained MacDougall in an article written for the August issue of Microfinance Focus magazine.

“I’ll admit that I have my own spreadsheet full of ratios; however, I principally use them to gauge trends. Often the levels they indicate have limited meaning, and analysts must understand when they do and when they don’t. A key consideration is whether the institution is mission-driven, rather than profit-driven. Many MFIs are non-profits or at least not profit-maximizers. They often charge just enough to cover their expenses and build the portfolio,” he wrote.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two of the most important microscopic pathogens that can be transmitted via drinking water. Both are present in most surface waters around the world. Infection by either organism is particularly serious for immunocompromised individuals as no effective drug treatment is available. The problem is becoming ever more significant as many of the worldâs highly populated areas are experiencing diminished water supplies, due to greater demand and an increasingly arid climate. Alternative water sources are therefore being sought; including for example treated municipal wastewater. Such alternatives may be more likely to contain higher concentrations of protozoan parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Water treatment programs are the front line in the defence against all waterborne pathogens. This article presents experimental data that demonstrate an effective technique for maximizing the efficiency of water sanitation methods, involving the measurement of zeta potential to enhance contaminant coagulation.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Can't eat ethanol boston sunday globe editorial

CORN should be used for food, not motor fuel, and yet the United States is committed to a policy that encourages farmers to turn an increasing amount of their crop into ethanol. This may save the nation a bit of the cost of imported oil, but it increases global-warming gases and contributes to higher food prices.

Candidates for president need to tell Americans the truth about ethanol, but they are falling over themselves in pursuit of the farm belt vote. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want more ethanol factories built than even President Bush envisaged when he called for 15 percent of US gasoline consumption to be replaced by alternative fuels by 2017. John McCain, who correctly called the ethanol push a boondoggle in 2000, now says that it is "a very important way to achieve energy independence."

Ethanol consumes almost a quarter of US corn production. The energy self-sufficiency that all the candidates seek should not come at the expense of the environment or the food supply.

Increased ethanol production isn't the only reason for the spike in food costs, but it's more controllable than drought in Australia, higher fertilizer prices, or increased meat consumption by the Chinese. Unlike those other cost-drivers, ethanol production is encouraged by federal subsidies.

And it's not as though ethanol improves the environment. When emissions inherent in the production process are included, ethanol consumption generates more carbon dioxide per gallon than gasoline, according to a recent report in Science magazine. Conversion of other cultivated biomass, such as sugarcane or soy, presents the same problem. The only biofuel that produces a net benefit is agricultural waste, an uncertain source. The best way for American motorists to use less gasoline is to drive fewer miles in lighter vehicles, rather than rely on the false promise of biofuels.

Ethanol is now usually sold as 10 percent of a fuel mixture that includes 90 percent gasoline. The government is thinking of ordering refiners to raise the blend to 15 or 20 percent. Ethanol generates fewer miles per gallon than regular gasoline. And it's not yet clear, according to the Consumer Reports website, how the higher blends would affect engine reliability or longevity. Before the government insists on a new fuel blend, it ought to examine all the hidden costs.

Greater use of ethanol means more greenhouse gases and more expensive food for people and livestock, hardly a fair exchange. There's a limited role for biofuels, excluding corn, in reducing oil imports from volatile regions, but they are not the answer to the world's need for energy on the go.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Household Goods Recycling Ministry (HGRM) aka HUG ROOMhere is a great place that should be replicated across the countryits sit say ".. a not-for-profit agency that collects, stores, and distributes furniture and household goods. We are located in Acton, Massachusetts. We accept donations from all sources and distribute those goods to families in need. Your support is critical to the success of our ministry serving those in our community who are in need. Our organization is staffed by over a hundred volunteers of all ages and occupations. We rely on individuals and organizations in our area for donations of the household goods we distribute. Please support us by donating goods, giving a monetary donation, and/or volunteering to help...."